1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to compounds useful in treatment of Alzheimer's disease and similar diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain primarily associated with aging. Clinical presentation of AD is characterized by loss of memory, cognition, reasoning, judgement, and orientation. As the disease progresses, motor, sensory, and linguistic abilities are also affected until there is global impairment of multiple cognitive functions. These cognitive losses occur gradually, but typically lead to severe impairment and eventual death in the range of four to twelve years.
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by two major pathologic observations in the brain: neurofibrillary tangles and beta amyloid (or neuritic) plaques, comprised predominantly of an aggregate of a peptide fragment know as A beta. Individuals with AD exhibit characteristic beta-amyloid deposits in the brain (beta amyloid plaques) and in cerebral blood vessels (beta amyloid angiopathy) as well as neurofibrillary tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles occur not only in Alzheimer's disease but also in other dementia-inducing disorders. On autopsy, large numbers of these lesions are generally found in areas of the human brain important for memory and cognition.
Smaller numbers of these lesions, in a more restricted anatomical distribution, are found in the brains of most aged humans who do not have clinical AD. Amyloidogenic plaques and vascular amyloid angiopathy also characterize the brains of individuals with Trisomy 21 (Down's Syndrome), Hereditary Cerebral Hemorrhage with Amyloidosis of the Dutch-Type (HCHWA-D), and other neurogenerative disorders. Beta-amyloid is a defining feature of AD, now believed to be a causative precursor or factor in the development of the disease. Deposition of A beta in areas of the brain responsible for cognitive activities is a major factor in the development of AD. Beta-amyloid plaques are predominantly composed of amyloid beta peptide (A beta, also sometimes designated betaA4). A beta peptide is derived by proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and is comprised of 39-42 amino acids. Several proteases called secretases are involved in the processing of APP.
Cleavage of APP at the N-terminus of the A beta peptide by beta-secretase and at the C-terminus by one or more gamma-secretases constitutes the beta-amyloidogenic pathway, i.e. the pathway by which A beta is formed. Cleavage of APP by alpha-secretase produces alpha-sAPP, a secreted form of APP that does not result in beta-amyloid plaque formation. This alternate pathway precludes the formation of A beta peptide. A description of the proteolytic processing fragments of APP is found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,441,870; 5,721,130; and 5,942,400.
An aspartyl protease has been identified as the enzyme responsible for processing of APP at the beta-secretase cleavage site. The beta-secretase enzyme has been disclosed using varied nomenclature, including BACE, Asp, and Memapsin. See, for example, Sinha et.al., 1999, Nature 402:537-554 (p50l) and published PCT application WO00/17369.
Several lines of evidence indicate that progressive cerebral deposition of beta-amyloid peptide (A beta) plays a seminal role in the pathogenesis of AD and can precede cognitive symptoms by years or decades. See, for example, Selkoe, 1991, Neuron 6:487. Release of A beta from neuronal cells grown in culture and the presence of A beta in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of both normal individuals and AD patients has been demonstrated. See, for example, Seubert et al., 1992, Nature 359:325-327.
It has been proposed that A beta peptide accumulates as a result of APP processing by beta-secretase, thus inhibition of this enzyme's activity is desirable for the treatement of AD. In vivo processing of APP at the beta-secretase cleavage site is thought to be a rate-limiting step in A beta production, and is thus a therapeutic target for the treatment of AD. See for example, Sabbagh, M., et al., 1997, Alz. Dis. Rev. 3, 1-19.
BACE1 knockout mice fail to produce A beta, and present a normal phenotype. When crossed with transgenic mice that overexpress APP, the progeny show reduced amounts of A beta in brain extracts as compared with control animals (Luo et. al., 2001 Nature Neuroscience 4:231-232). This evidence further supports the proposal that inhibition of beta-secretase activity and reduction of A beta in the brain provides a therapeutic method for the treatment of AD and other beta amyloid disorders.
Published PCT application WO00/47618 entitled “Beta-Secretase Enzyme Compositions and Methods” identifies the beta-secretase enzyme and methods of its use. This publication also discloses oligopeptide inhibitors that bind the enzyme's active site and are useful in affinity column purification of the enzyme. In addition, WO00/77030 discloses tetrapeptide inhibitors of beta-secretase activity that are based on a statine molecule.
Various pharmaceutical agents have been proposed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease but without any real success. U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,281 discloses 21-aminosteroids as being useful for treating Alzheimer's disease. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,187 discloses bicyclic heterocyclic amines as being useful for treating Alzheimer's disease.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,616,088 and 4,665,193 discloses hydroxyethylamine compounds as anti-hypertensive agents due to their ability to inhibit renin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,491 discloses various tetrapeptides which are useful as renin inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,792 discloses amino compounds useful as analgesics because of their ability to inhibit an enkephalin-degrading aminopeptidase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,056 discloses peptide derivatives with a C2-symmetric dihydroxyethylene core as retroviral protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,461,067 and 5,753,652 disclose the synthesis of retroviral protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,475,138 and 5,631,405 disclose processes and various intermediates useful in the synthesis of selected protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,061 discloses HIV protease inhibitors containing an unsaturated carbocycle or heterocycle at the C-terminus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,640 discloses compounds which inhibit HIV protease activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,784 discloses compounds active against retroviruses, including HIV.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,175 discloses hydroxyethylamine compounds as retroviral protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,405 discloses a process for the formation of intermediates useful in the synthesis of selected protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,882 and International Publications WO 93/02057 and WO 93/17003 disclose dipeptide analogs as retroviral protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,076 discloses hydroxyethylamino sulfonamide compounds as retrovirus protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,870 discloses hydroxyethylamine compounds for the inhibition of HIV protease.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,891 discloses HIV protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,897 discloses hydroxyethylamino sulfonamide compounds as retrovirus protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,117 discloses a process and intermediates useful in retroviral protease inhibitor intermediates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,169 discloses a process for preparing aminoepoxides involving the activation of the terminal hydroxyl of an aminodiol.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,849,911 discloses hydroxyethylamine HIV protease inhibitors which form hydrazines with one of the amino groups; this amino group must also be alkylated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,770 discloses peptide derivatives which are useful in treating disorders resulting from a deficiency in growth hormone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,658 discloses peptide derivatives which are useful in treating disorders resulting from a deficiency in growth hormone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,872 discloses hydroxyethylamino sulfonyl urea compounds as HIV protease inhibitors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,476 discloses hydroxyethylamino sulfonamide compounds as HIV protease inhibitors.
International Publication WO89/01488 discloses renin inhibiting peptides with a hydroxyethylene or dihydroxyethylene isostere in the 10,11-position of the renin substrate angiotensinogen.
International Publication WO92/00750 discloses retroviral protease inhibitors.
International Publication WO94/04492 discloses hydroxyethylamine intermediates useful for the treatment of retroviral diseases such as HIV. This disclosure also presents epoxides as intermediates for the retroviral inhibitors.
International Publication WO95/06030 discloses epoxides, chloromethyl ketones, and alcohols prepared as intermediates for HIV protease inhibitors, with a single protecting group on the amine and arylalkyl side chain substituted with alkyl, nitro, nitrile, alkoxy, and thioalkoxy; a preferred side chain is 4-fluorophenylmethyl.
International Publication WO98/29401 discloses a method for the preparation of aminoepoxides from aminoaldehydes by which the aminoaldehyde continuously flows into a mixing zone containing an in situ generated halomethyl organometallic reagent.
International Publication WO98/33795 discloses non-peptide inhibitors of cathepsin D.
International Publication WO98/50342 discloses bis aminomethyl carbonyl compounds as inhibitors of cysteine and serine proteases.
International Publication WO00/056335 discloses non-peptide inhibitors of aspartyl proteases. These compounds influence processing of the amyloid precursor protein APP.
EP 0 609 625 discloses HIV protease inhibitors with only one noncyclized nitrogen atom.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 5, 721-726 (1995) describes the synthesis of compounds useful for the inhibition of HIV protease in which the C-terminal nitrogen of the hydroxyethylamine compound is incorporated into a ring system such that a piperidine ring, with an amide substituent next to the nitrogen, is formed.
The hydroxyethylamine “nucleus” or isostere, which is present in the compounds of the present invention has been employed with success in the area of HIV protease inhibition. Many of these hydroxyethylamine compounds are known as well as how to make them. See for example, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 93, 288-291 (1993), Tetrahedron Letters, 28(45) 5569-5572 (1987), J. Med. Chem., 38(4), 581-584 (1994), Tetrahedron Letters, 38(4), 619-620 (1997).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,511 discloses a diprotected aralkyl epoxide.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,947; 5,508,294; 5,510,349; 5,510,388; 5,521,219; 5,610,190; 5,639,769; 5,760,064; and 5,965,588 disclose monoprotected (substituted) aralkyl epoxides.
Tetrahedron Lett., 30(40),5425-5428 (1989) discloses a process in which doubly protected alpha-amino aldehydes are transformed into the corresponding aminoalkyl epoxides.
J. Med. Chem., 36, 2300 (1993) discloses an azide substituted benzyl epoxide.
Tetrahedron Lett., 38, 3175 (1997) discloses a process for the preparation of N-BOC protected epoxides from protected amino acid esters.
J. Med. Chem., 35, 2525 (1992) discloses hydroxyethylamine inhibitors of HIV protease.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,011 discloses arylalkyl amino epoxides in which the amino group is protected by a carbamate functionality.
Synlett, 6, 902 (2000) discloses the preparation of alpha-chloroketones of aminoprotected-(substituted)benzyl esters.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,511 discloses a diprotected aralkyl alcohol.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,947; 5,508,294; 5,510,349; 5,510,388; 5,521,219; 5,610,190; 5,639,769; 5,760,064; and 5,965,588 disclose monoprotected (substituted) aralklyl alcohols.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,947; 5,508,294; 5,510,349; 5,510,388; 5,521,219; 5,610,190; 5,639,769; 5,760,064; and 5,965,588 disclose a process for removing the protecting group of the monoprotected (substituted) aralklyl alcohols to give the free amino alcohol product as the amine salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,511 discloses the removal of the amino protecting group of the protected amino-alcohol to give a free amino-alcohol.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,344 discloses phosphate containing compounds useful in treating Alzheimer's disease.
EP 652 009 A1 discloses inhibitors of aspartyl protease which inhibit beta-amyloid peptide production in cell culture and in vivo. The compounds which inhibit intracellular beta-amyloid peptide production are useful in treating Alzheiner's Disease.
WO00/69262 discloses a new beta-secretase and its use in assays to screen for potential drug candidates against Alzheimer's disease.
WO01/00663 discloses memapsin 2 (human beta-secretase) as well as catalytically active recombinant enzyme. In addition, a method of identifying inhibitors of memapsin 2, as well as two inhibitors are disclosed. Both inhibitors that are disclosed are peptides.
WO01/00665 discloses inhibitors of memapsin 2 that are useful in treating Alzheimer's disease.
WO01/19797 discloses lactams of the formula —C—C—CO—N-lactam-W-X—Y-Z which are useful in treating Alzheimer's disease.
At present there are no effective treatments for halting, preventing, or reversing the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for pharmaceutical agents capable of slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease and/or preventing it in the first place.
Compounds that are effective inhibitors of beta-secretase, that inhibit beta-secretase-mediated cleavage of APP, that are effective inhibitors of A beta production, and/or are effective to reduce amyloid beta deposits or plaques, are needed for the treatment and prevention of disease characterized by amyloid beta deposits or plaques, such as AD.